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Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Tackling Global Warming Cheaper Than Ignoring It

Have you seen An Inconvenient Truth yet? As I said before, if you haven't seen it, stop what you are doing and get to the nearest theatre! And I might add that Who Killed the Electric Car would also be more than worth your while.

Can we finally agree that climate change is no longer a debate?

Economist Sir Nicholas Stern has concluded that mitigating global warming could cost around 1% of global GDP if spent immediately, but that ignoring the problem could cost between 5% and 20% of global GDP. The 700-page study represents the first major report on climate change from an economist rather than a scientist. I think its a little strange that a collective group of 2500 scientists have been jumping up and down warning of climate change (the issue is no longer even debated by scientists), but it takes an economist to get people (and some governments) to take notice.

Stern's report calls for the introduction of green taxes and carbon trading schemes as soon as possible, and calls on the international community to sign a new pact on greenhouse emissions by next year. The UK government is taking the report seriously and both major parties are proposing new green taxes. Stern points out, however, that any action will only be effective if truly global.

John Howard has taken the mature stance of "we won't do it unless everybody else does it first." And the US, the world's biggest greenhouse polluter has referred to the report as a "contribution to the body of knowledge on climate change" while Tony Blair has said that the last remaining argument for inaction in the face of climate change has been demolished.

So folks, now is the time to make some noise. Show your support for sustainable transport and energy policies, demand a new administration, write letters, make phone calls, tell your friends and join the International Day of Action on Climate Change.

I'd like my kids to have a healthy planet and its up to us to prevent governments with ties to big oil and corporations with zero sense of social responsibility from spoiling that future.